Many consider the E30 M3 to be the best driver’s car ever built by BMW. However the E30 M3 was built more for competition and serious road use than for everyday transportation with it’s raw four-cylinder engine.

The E30 M3-based Alpina B6 3,5S, which is considered to be one of Alpina’s finest efforts ever, offered the best of both worlds. It combined the performance of the powerful and smooth Alpina 3.5 litre six-cylinder engine with the handling capabilities of the M3.

The engine is exactly the same unit as in the “ordinary” B6 3.5. It is based on BMW´s 3.5 litre six, which produces 218 bhp in stock form. Alpina´s version produces 254 bhp. Read more about this engine in the B6 3.5 section.

Like the B6 3.5, the B6 3.5 S has a Getrag 5-speed gearbox. However the B6 3.5 S has a “sportgetriebe” – also known as dogleg gearbox – with the first gear at bottom left.

The B6 3.5 S largely shares its chassis with the standard E30 M3. The only difference is that the B6 3.5 S is equipped with the front springs of the A/C-equipped E30 M3. Those are a bit stiffer to handle the extra weight of the air conditioning system.

The brakes are the same as the B6 3.5. However the wheels are 8″ wide with 225/45 tires all round.

In the interior, Alpina has made the same changes as in the B6 3.5. They include new seats with Alpina stripes, a new leather-covered steering wheel, gear knob, new digital instruments and some other minor changes.

The only exterior changes to the standard E30 M3 are the optional Alpina stripes and Alpina wheels.

Alpina claimed a 0-100 km/h time of 6.6 seconds – the same time as the B6 3.5. However at higher speeds the B6 3.5 S is a little faster thanks to better aerodynamics. It also has a higher top-speed of 251 km/h. That is 3 km/h faster than BMW’s ultimate E30 M3, the 2.5 liter M3 Sport Evolution.

Only 62 cars were produced between November 1987 and December 1990.